Mendubim

Construction of the solar plant (comprised of 13 solar projects) began in 2022, and the project, which was completed on time and on budget, started operations in February 2024. 

Mendubim has an installed capacity of 531 MW and produces 1.2 TWh of electricity annually, corresponding to the needs of approximately 620,000 Brazilian households. 

In total, Mendubim consists of almost one million solar bi-facial modules. 

60 percent of the power produced is delivered to alumina refinery Alunorte, located in the state of Pará, through a 20-year power purchase agreement. The remaining volumes are sold in the Brazilian power market. 

The owners of Mendubim are Hydro Rein, Scatec, Equinor and Alunorte. 

Sustainability efforts 

Delivering projects with high sustainability standards is a key priority to Hydro Rein. From a climate change perspective, Mendubim contributes greatly to cut greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil. The project contributes to avoiding an estimated 70,000-80,000 tons of CO2 emissions every year. 

Impact on nature is another focus area. Upon construction start of Mendubim, the entire project area was meticulously assessed by environmental experts. Recovery of the local flora and fauna is an important part of the sustainability efforts. More than 340,000 seedlings from different plants native to the area have already been grown to restore the fauna. In total, 171 hectares of seedlings have been planted so far. 

People and local communities are one of the three core pillars of Hydro Rein’s sustainability strategy. Gender balance is a goal, both for our own workforce as well as through our project organizations. During the development of Mendubim solar complex, a comprehensive program was initiated to train local women for a future in Brazil’s renewables industry. A total of 240 local women were trained to become solar panel assemblers and offered a job on the project construction.